Vending apparatus



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` W H HAMMER VENDING APPARATUS.

No. 440,029. 'Patented'Nw A, v1890.

3 Sheets-#Sheet 3 (No Model.)

W.. H. HAMMER.

VENDING APPARATUS.

` Patented Nov. 4, 1890.

@wom/woz v UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM H. HAMMER,` OF VASHINGTON COURT-HOUSE, OHIO.

VEN DING APPARATUS.

n SPECIFICATION forming partrof Letters Patent No. 440,029, datedNovember 4, 1890. Application led May 8, 1890l Serial No. 351,014. (Nomodel.)

.To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM I-I. HAMMER, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at Washington Court-House, in the county of Fayetteand State of Ohio, have invented certain new anduseful ImprovementsinVending Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will en ableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to lettersof reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements incoin-controlled vending apparatus. l

The object of the invention is to provide an extremely simple vendingapparatus by the use of which articles placed on sale may be doled outwhen a proper coin is placed in the apparatus, the parts being soconstructed that should an attempt be made to manipulate the apparatusby the insertion ot' an improper coin the device will be inoperative andthe improper coin will not be deposited; and it consists in theconstruction and combination of the parts, as will be hereinafter fullyset forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The invention further consists in the combination of a cam-shapedoperating-lever carrying a coin-pusher, together with a rocking lever,which is operated by the coin and .pusher to project and `retract thedeliveryslide.

In theaccompanying drawings, Figure l is afront view of a vendingapparatus constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is avertical sectional view. Fig. 8 is a rear elevation, the back of thecasing being removed froln one ot' the compartments; and Figs. 4 and 5are detail views of the slotted plate through which the coin is passed.Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view illustra-ting the employment of oneslide in connection with merchandise and change compartments.

A refers to the case, which is of the general configuration ofcoin-vending apparatus, and is provided with a series of compartments orhoppers for containing merchandise of different qualities and values, sothat from the apparatus a purchaser may obtain, by depositing the propercoin, cigars, tobacco, confections, or other such articles usuallyplaced on sale in this class of apparatus. The case, as shown, isdivided into seven compartments, and is consequently provided with sevencamshaped operating-levers B and coin-plates C, having slots, as well asseven distinct sets of operating mechanism, which work or operate in themanner to be hereinafter set forth. The front lower end of the casinghas a ledge a, upon which the merchandise is deposited when projected bythe delivery-slide, and the front portion of the casing is provided witha door A', having a glass panel through which the merchandise may beviewed, and by lowering this door access can be had to the compartmentsfor the purpose of refilling the same. across the frame beneath wherethe door is hinged, and openings are located beneath this strap, whichare protected by curtains or flaps c, said flaps being adapted to swingoutwardly, and by abutting against the bottom of the casing inwardmovement thereof is prevented.

Each compartment is provided with a rear wall cl, which has at itslowerend an opening through which a delivery-slide E of proper size isadapted to pass. The depth of the compartments or hoppers A2 can bevaried according to the particular class of goods they are intended tocontain. For instance, those adapted to contain confections orchewinggum may be comparatively shallow, while those intended to containlarger articles, as chewing-tobacco, cigars, and packages of cigarettes,may be of a greater size both as to width and depth. When the device isintended to retail cigars, such compartments may be made of a size tocontain a box in which the cigars were originally packed, the end and apart of the top of said box being removed. In connection with thecigar-box I propose to provide the partition-board CZ, with a block d',and employ a bent plate D, which can be inserted beneath the rst layerof cigars. The front member of this plate D will prevent the cigarscatching upon each A strap c extends longitudinallyl IOO other orbecoming disarranged in the box as vending merchandise which is put upin packages and not liable to adhere, this plate may be dispensed with.

`The top horizontal Wall of the case A has attached thereto a coin-plateC, having a slot e, through which passes the coin-pusher f. Thecam-shaped operating-lever B is pivotally secured to the under side ofthe top of the casing, and it carries a coin-pusher f, which ispreferably bifurcated or formed with two members, one of which isslightly longer than the other, and this coin-pusher fis tapered orconical, and is adaptedto lie in the central opening g of the slot ewhen the handlebar is fully depressed. The handle-bar below its pivotalpoint has formed thereon a projection or lug b2 and a curved extendedfinger B', which linger is adapted to abut against the upper end of arocking lever F to manipulate the same in one direction to retract thedelivery-slide. The projection b2 carries a laterally-projecting pin G',which may be properly bent to contact with the upper end of a spring-barcarrying a bell B3 for sounding an alarm when the cam-shapedoperating-lever is moved.

The rocking lever F has its upper face 'against which the coin abutsgrooved, as

shown at h, and in the groove the coin will roll when depressed by thecoin-pusher f.

The coin-plate C has a slot corresponding in length and width with thecoin which is intended to be passed through the same, and an enlargedtapered opening for the reception of the coin-pusher f, and one side ofthe slot has a vertical recess g2, beyond which projects a spring g',which is secured to the coinplate C, so as to be moved within the recesswhen the coin is inserted in the slot. This spring g will bear againstthe face of the coin so that it will not drop or move freely through theslot, to prevent an improper coin dropping into the coin-receptacleWithin the case without iirst being observed by the depositor. Thefingers f and f2 of the coin-pusher f are of a distance apart sufficientto admit a coin of proper size and allow the same to be pushed below theplate C. In front of the upper` portion of the rocking lever F issecured an inclined plate I, which will serve to deflect the coins toone 'side into a coin-receptacle in rear of the partition-board d of thecase. The rocking lever maybe formed in one piece and extend downwardlyto engage with the delivery-slide, or it may be made of two pieces, asshown.

The delivery-slide E may carry a pocket or be formed with an opening,into which the merchandise will pass, and I do not wish to limit myselfto any particular form of delivery-slide further than its being soconstructed that it will be reciprocated by the rocking lever. The slideis preferably provided within the case with a raised ledge or sto E',which will abut against the artition-board d.

The rear of the apparatus is closed by a suitable board, which mayextend'from the base upwardly, and as the operating mechanism occupiesbut comparatively little space the remainder of the compartment may beused for storing merchandise.

In practice a vending apparatus constructed as herein set forth will beoperated as follows: The cam-shaped operating-levers B will be normallydepressed, and it will be necessar-y to elevate the same before theslots in the coin-plates will be exposed, during which operation thebel'lvvill be sounded. Aproper coin may now be inserted in the slot,which will rest upon the upper end of the rocking bar, and when theoperating-lever isjdepressed the coin is forced against the upper end ofthe rocking lever to operate the same and project the delivery-slide,which move will pass an article of merchandise from the hopper upon theledge a, the coin having been guided by the inclined plate I into acoin-receptacle. It will be observed that the delivery-slide will remainprojected until the lever is raised, and should any attempt be made toabstract merchandise from the apparatus it is likely the person makingthe attempt would elevate the lever and sound an alarm. In case animproper coin-as a cent is inserted in the slot intended to receivefive-cent pieces or nickels, it will rest upon the upper end of therocking lever, and when the operatinglever is depressed said coin willpass into the bifurcation formed in the pushing-iin ger, and the rockinglever Will not be depressed suficient to either deposit the coin oroperate the delivery-slide, and by raising the operatinglever the coinwill be projected through the slot by the rocking lever to allow theperson to recover the same. It Will also be observed that every time thecam-shaped operatinglever is raised the delivery-slide will be retractedto its full extent.

If desirable, one or more of the compartments may carry a double or abifurcated slide and a single operating-lever. This is intended for suchvending apparatus it may be desired to supply With a compartment formaking change, one of the merchandise-compartments containing coins,While the other receives merchandise. Thus, if a person having a nickeldesires a one-cent purchase, he can deposit the coin in the proper slotand receive therefor one article of merchandise and four pennies, thecoin-receiving recess in the slide being gaged accordingly. If desired,the coins intended for making change may be placed in suitable packagesor coinholders. (See Fig. G, in which E3 is the slide, E themerchandise-compartment, and E2 the compartment for making change.)

Having thus described my invention, what -I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters 1. In a vending apparatus having a coinplate with aslot, a cam-shaped operating-lever, and a rocking bar, said rocking barhavin g an upper end against which the coin abuts IOO IIO

to operate the delivery-slide directly connected with the lower end ofthe same when a coin is inserted and the operating-lever depressed,substantially as set forth.

2. In a vending apparatus, an operatinglever having a coin-pusher andprojectingnger, and a rocking lever adapted to be thrown` in onedirection by the coin and in the opposite direction by the linger of thelever, substantially as set forth.

3. In a vendingapparatus, acoin-plate having a slot, and a verticalspring secured in one of the side walls of the slot to bear against thefiat side of the coin when introduced vertically, said spring beingpressed to one side when the coin is passed through the slot,substantially as set forth.

4. In a vending apparatus having an opening for coins, anoperating-lever B, carrying a coin-pusherf, a curved linger B below thepivot of said operating-lever, and a rocking lever having an upper end,against which` the coin abuts, the finger B being adapted to engage withthe rear upper face of said .rocking lever to operate the delivery-slideoutwardly by the combined action of the operating-lever and coin andinwardly by the finger of the operating-lever, substantially as setforth.

v 5. In a coin-vending apparatus, the combination of a cam-shapedoperating-lever having a coin-pusher f, a curved finger B and alaterally-projecting pin for operatin gan alarm mechanism, together witha rocking lever F, constructed substantially as shown and connecteddirectly with the delivery-slide, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, in vending apparatus, of thedelivery-slide-operating mechanism consisting of a cam-shapedoperating-lever having a coin-pusher f, a finger B', a rocking leverhaving the upper end thereof inclined and provided with a groove locatedimmediately belowr the coin -receiving slot, a coin-plate having a slotWhichis centrally cut away, and a spring g', intersecting said slot, theparts being organized substantially as shown, and for the purpose setforth.

7. In combination with acam-shaped operating-lever B, having alaterally-projecting pin, a bell mounted on a spring-rod, the upper endof said rod being adapted to be engaged by a pin carried by theoperating-lever, so as to sound an alarm when the operating-lever iseither raised or lowered, substantially as set forth.

8. In a vending apparatus,a casing having a rear compartment whichcontains the operating mechanism and coin-receptacle, an opcrating-lever B, slotted plate, and rocking lever, a detlccting-plate I,located beneath the coin-receiving slot, so as to deposit the coinwithin the coin-receptacle, for the purpose set forth, a rocking leverconnected at its lower end directly to the delivery-slide and providedat its upper end beneath the coin-recciving slot with a groove,substantially as shown.

9. The combination, in a vending apparatus, of the casing having one ormore compartments or hoppers for the reception of merchandise,apartition separating said compartment from the operating mechanism,adelivery-slide adapted to be projected bythe operating mechanism, thelatter consisting of a vertical rocking bar directly connected at itslower end to the slide and having its upper end located to be operatedby the coin, substantially as set forth.

10. In an apparatus for vending merchandise packed in layers in boxes, acompartment having a ledge d', upon which the open lower end .of the boxwill rest, and a plate D, supported by said ledge and adapted to bepassed between the layers of merchandise, so as to separate them fromeach other and hold part of said merchandise against or adjacent to thefront portion of the compartment and part of the merchandisepermanent-ly in the rear, substantially as set forth.

11. In avendingapparatus, two adjacentlyarranged compartments,respectively adapted for merchandise and change, a single delivery-slideoperating beneath both compartments and having a portion designed toreceive and contain merchandise and the other portion provided with agaged recess to receive and contain a predetermined amount of coin,together with a vertical rocking bar connected directly to said slide,and a camshaped lever designed to vibrate the bar through the medium ofacoin and horizontally project said slide beyond the case of theapparatus, substantially as set forth.

12. In combination with an apparatus for vending cigars or articles oftobacco in their original packages, said package having one end removedand a portion of the top cut away, leaving the revenue-stamp exposed,the compartment in which the packing-box is placed having asupporting-ledge el and bent plate D, and an opening through which thearticle falls, so as to be projected by the delivery-slide, togetherwith slideoperating means, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my sig nature in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM l-I. HAMM-ER.

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